Something Precious
by kakashikrazy256
Summary: "Shizuo-kun said you pushed him out of the way." He did. But he didn't know why. Lately, Ikebukuro has been terrorized by a prankster that drops deadly acid down onto the streets from rooftops. And one day, the victims happen to be Ikebukuro's two strongest men. Mostly angst. One-sided Shizaya or mutual (reader's impression)


**I don't know I just needed the write this. Mostly angst I guess lol with implied Shizaya (one-sided or mutual? Readers' impression ;3 )**

**I was inspired by an old movie I saw ages ago but just randomly remembered. And boom plot bunny. *Quickly writes this and crawls back under a rock***

**I can't look at Shizuo and Izaya without thinking about Erwin and Levi anymore *sobs* **

**Warning: OOC, language and atrocious writing.**

**Enjoy **

[Kanra] Recently, there has been a lot of random sewage pranks...uwahh scary (((( ;°Д°))))

[Tanaka Tarou] ? Sewage pranks? I haven't heard of them. What are they, Kanra-san?

[Kanra] Hey now, Tanaka Tarou-kun do you live under a rock or something? You seriously haven't seen them around Ikebukuro? Kanra-chan doesn't even live there but knows!

[Tanaka Tarou] D: I'm sorry, I haven't been keeping up with the latest news so I've missed out. Do you know Setton-san?

[Setton] Ah...I guess so.

[Kanra] So un-informed, kids these days (￣□￣) but no matter! Kanra-chan to the rescue~

[Tanaka Tarou] Thank you very much, Kanra-san.

[Kanra] Lately around Ikebukuro...there has been someone dropping down sewage bombs from random buildings.

[Tanaka Tarou] ...Sewage bombs?

[Setton] Ah... that's just a nickname. They're really...

[Kanra] Bottles of hydrofluoric acid.

[Tanaka Tarou] H-hydrofluoric acid?

[Kanra] Yup, some guy's been dropping this stuff in glass bottles down onto the streets. It's been causing a lot of panic and injuries lately.

[Tanaka Tarou] But wait, doesn't that stuff dissolve glass too?

[Kanra] Hmmm, I'm guessing they poured the stuff in the bottles seconds before they released it. After all, glass does have that shattering effect that plastic doesn't ヽ(ﾟДﾟ)ﾉ

[Tanaka Tarou] Ah...I suppose that's true.

[Kanra] That stuff can have really nasty side effects if it hits you.

[Setton] That's right, if it touches your skin, it can burn it, and it can blind you too if it hits your eyes.

[Kanra] Hahaha~ I guess the Black Rider doesn't have to worry about getting his eyes burned out then.

[Setton] Ah...

[Kanra] Anyways~! Everyone should be careful! I wouldn't want Tanaka Tarou-kun or Setton-san to lose an arm and never be able to chat with poor Kanra-chan anymore~

[Setton] Yeah...

[Tanaka Tarou] That's right, thanks for the...concern, Kanra-san.

[Kanra] Ah! Kanra-chan has a lot of things to do now~ We'll chat again soon~ Byeeebeee~

[Setton] Then, I should sign out as well. Good bye.

[Kanra has logged out]

[Setton has logged out]

[Tanaka Tarou] Ah! Then I should go as well. Thank you for chatting.

[Tanaka Tarou has logged out]

[No one is in the chat room right now]

[No one is in the chat room right now]

[No one is in the chat room right now]

"Ah…another one huh? 'Bukuro's turning crazier and crazier by the day." Tom sighed, watching along with the rest of the crowd.

"Yeah, shitheads doing shitty things. Get's me pissed." The loud sirens and chatter surrounding the ex-bartender and his employer drowned out everything else.

The blonde watched the man on the stretcher covered in sizzling burns with a wince. He hadn't stopped moaning in agony since the bottle exploded in front of his face.

He had been lucky. For the past few months, Shizuo had always been a block or two away when he heard loud shattering and screams filled with fear and pain. By the time he reached the scene, there was endless panic and he knew the culprit was already gone.

"I wonder who the perp is. Been around for almost a month, what the hell are the police doing?" The older man hummed softly as the ambulance began to cry and leave the scene as quick as it appeared.

"Not a good enough job, that's what." Shizuo scoffed and clenched his teeth, crushing his cigarette.

"….Well, it's not our problem for now. Let's go Shizuo; Vorona's waiting at the next client's place."

"….'kay."

It was kind of sad really. Shizuo mused to himself silently as he walked besides Tom.

He noticed the change in the people on the street.

They were scared.

And for once, it wasn't of him.

They were always looking straight up now. Not at the floor, not at their friends, or even straight ahead. Just straight up, faces scrunched up in anticipation and paranoia.

As a result, a lot more people bumped into each other and Shizuo was damn sure he hasn't experienced this much physical contact since….ever.

He had made it down one block and had already bumped into eight people. And frankly, it was starting to piss him off.

"Annoying….annoying….annoying..." His muttering grew louder and louder as he continued to run into people that couldn't even keep their eyes on the street anymore.

"S-Shizuo, hey l-let's take a shortcut through the alleys. There are less people and I'd doubt anyone would throw a sewage bomb down there." Tom smiled nervously as he watched his employee steadily get more and more agitated.

"…Yeah, that sounds good." The ex-bartender shrugged and turned to go through the narrow alleyway with a relieved Tom in tow.

They passed by some color gangs as they walked, but even they looked wary of the roof tops. The punks jumped and scrambled away when they saw the two, their eyes never leaving the sky.

"Annoying…" Shizuo growled as he started to stomp down another alley. There was much less people, but he only felt more pissed.

It smelled.

He came to a stop as he turned a corner and glared angrily.

He had found the source of the stink.

His keen eyes saw the two shadows near an old crate. One was hunched over with a cigarette hanging from his mouth, looking utterly bored yet dangerous.

Shizuo decided he didn't like that guy all that much.

The other one...Shizuo clenched his fists and spat out his cigarette. The other one was wearing all black, save the brownish fur that covered parts of his jacket. His face looked smug and full of confidence.

And Shizuo hated this guy even more.

Izaya sensed the large shift in the air and moved back just in time as a large garbage can came flying at his face.

"Ah!~ Shizu-chan! I was wondering when you were going to find me."

He smiled brightly and glanced at the man he was making a transaction with, who looked ready to piss his pants and bolt.

"Isaka-san, I'm afraid our meeting has been cut short. You'll know where to find me, right?"

The man attempted to nod professionally before hightailing out of the alley.

"Izaayyaa…..the fuck you doing in Ikebukuro?" Shizuo growled, picking up a trash can lid, twirling it around his finger with a sneer.

"I had business. I need to make my share of loot, you know. Now, you wouldn't want me to end up homeless on the streets ,right Shizu-chan~?"

"Tch, of course I would. Fleas like you belong there…IN THE TRASH!" The taller man shouted in rage and flung the lid like a Frisbee.

The raven merely moved aside and the lid flew out of sight. With a smirk, he ran out of the alley.

"GET THE FUCK BACK HERE!" He was hot on his trail.

"S-shizuo! I'll call you later!" He barely had time to nod towards Tom's direction before running out of the alley.

If the people weren't afraid of him before, they were now.

The crowd magically moved out of his way before he even got a meter near them. That made things a hell lot easier. He could clearly see the flea running half a block ahead of him.

"IZAYA! YOU'RE DEAD!" He ripped a pole from its place and flung it straight at the little bastard.

People screamed as they threw themselves to the ground. The flea did as well. The pole hit a street light and fell with a loud thud.

"Tch tch, your bills are going to skyrocket, Shizu-chan! Maybe they'll send you back to jail and I'll never have to see your stupid protozoan face ever again~" The flea's voice rang out annoyingly and that made Shizuo even more pissed.

People were now forming a semi-circle around the two and murmuring amongst themselves.

Well, that was great. With the large barrier, the little shit wouldn't be able to get away in time.

He stalked forward with a scowl and he was glad the flea stood his ground. That way, he wouldn't squirm too much when Shizuo killed him. He glanced to the right: buildings. He glanced to the left: crowds of people.

Perfect.

"Looks like you're stuck. Ready to die, flea?" He grinned as he stopped barely ten inches away from the shorter man.

The informant pulled an extremely annoying expression of deep thought that pissed the bodyguard off.

"Hmm, nope!" He smiled up and a vein popped up on Shizuo's head.

"Well that's too fucking bad." He clenched a fist and swung down on the little bastard's face.

"Too slow, Shizu-chan~" Izaya chuckled and danced out of the way with a flourish, backing away a couple of steps.

"I told you I was here for some innocent business! So why not just let me get on my merry way and-"

"As if anything you do is innocent. You flea, you're probably planning something big anything!" The blonde growled but froze when some things in his head began to click.

99 percent of the strange shit that happened in Ikebukuro had to do with Izaya. His instincts told him that. Hell, it was probably a fact. So what if….

"Bastard! Are you responsible for those fucking sewage bombs too?"

He blinked when he saw something in the flea's posture change. It was slight but he noticed. The raven's ruby eyes seemed to darken, but the smile was still plastered across his face.

"Eh? Sewage bombs? That's so mean of you, Shizu-chan. I would neve-"

"Don't shit around with me! 99 percent of the time, it's your fault. Did you hire some punks to hurt random people on the streets?"

"I didn't-"

"That's low, even for you Izaya!"

People were now murmuring loudly, giving Izaya terrified and accusing stares. The informant's eyes narrowed significantly and his lips curled into a frown.

"No…it wasn't me." Shizuo raised an eyebrow at the quiet tone. Had he hit a nerve? Something inside him jumped for joy. He had talked the flea into a corner. For once, it wasn't the other way around. Izaya was speechless and scrambling for a comeback, not him.

And he intended to keep it that way.

_If I could distract him a bit more, I could probably grab that parking sign and…_

"I don't fucking believe you, flea. No one would believe you." He smirked happily, already imagining the sound of the flea being smacked and swung into a wall.

He began to stalk forward again. He applauded himself for thinking of such a great plan. Hell, he was probably some kind of genius.

Shizuo saw it in the flea's eyes. They were flickering dangerously, rapidly thinking of hundreds of different ways to escape, stab him, and think of a comeback

Once Shizuo was barely a few inches away from him, Izaya whipped out his blade with a simple smirk, waving the sharp object warningly.

"Is hurting people really that fun to you, Izaya?" He whispered, glancing at the sign that was an arm's length away.

He saw it.

The spilt second of hesitation in Izaya's eyes and the slight wavering of his blade.

Now!

He uprooted the blue sign from its home in the cement and positioned himself to swing the flea out of sight.

He would win today.

That was when he heard the scream.

"Up there!" The shrill voice of a woman rang out over the crowd's loud murmuring.

Shizuo barely had time to glance up. What he saw made him freeze. Something small and shiny, glinting in the sunlight was falling down towards the flea and him.

"Shit-"

Before he finished cursing, he felt himself being pushed back with a surprisingly great amount of force.

Time seemed to stop for him as he heard the loud shattering of glass and the screams of people in panic.

He blinked repeatedly when he finally regained his senses and realized he was sitting on the ground, his left hand numb.

"Wha…" He looked down and winced when he saw a tiny spot on his hand, sizzling loudly.

"Crap!" He pressed the hand against the cemented floor, hissing softly as the sizzling slowly died down. It had only been a drop, so he was probably safe. Probably should go to Shinra to check it just in case.

People around him were running in frenzy, trying to avoid something.

Oh fuck.

His mind finally put all the pieces together.

The sewage bomb.

A sewage bomb dropped on him.

And Izaya.

He glanced up and inhaled sharply.

"I-izaya?" He let out in a gruff voice, feeling miles and miles away.

The flea was sitting on the floor, his head down and shoulders trembling slightly.

His hands were pressed tightly against his eyes.

"!"

That was a serious warning to Shizuo.

"Izaya?!" He scrambled over to the smaller man's side, carefully avoiding the mess of glass and sizzling liquid on the floor.

Oh shit oh shit oh shit oh shit.

"God damn it, flea what the hell happened?" He cursed under his breath and placed an arm on the quaking shoulder.

He flinched when it was shrugged off violently.

"Don't touch me." The flea's voice came out shaky and in a higher pitch than normal.

"Fuck, Izaya, what's wrong?" He growled softly and glanced around. People were too busy trying to get away from the crime scene in case the culprit had more bottles ready.

Speaking of which, they needed to get the fuck away from the buildings right now.

"Listen, flea we have to move. If you don't tell me what's wrong, I'm going to leave you here and you can get the fuck back to your apartment by yourself." He glared at the raven, annoyed.

"I-I can't…" Shizuo's frown deepened as he heard the whisper.

"Can't what…" He didn't know why he even had to ask. He wasn't the brightest crayon in the box, but he was dreading the answer he knew already.

"I-I can't see, Shizu-chan….t-they're burning…m-my eyes…" His own eyes widen as the informant's voice cracked slightly.

Oh fucking shit.

"Damn it, Izaya!" He put one arm under the flea's knees, grunting as the fabric rubbed against his wound. With one swift moment, he lifted the raven off the ground and began to run.

"S-Shizu-"

"Shut up. We're going to Shinra's." He dodged around the people running in the opposite direction, wishing he could just run them all over.

The informant was quiet for a few moments and Shizuo feared the worst.

"Izaya? Hey don't you fucking fall asleep."

"I'm not." He heard the breathless laugh and tightened his grip.

"Do your eyes hurt really badly?" He watched the hands covering them tighten.

"...Yeah..." The whisper was so quiet and weak that for a second, Shizuo didn't believe it was Izaya in his arms.

"Fuck." The ex-bartender muttered and used one hand to pull the flea's hood over his head. He didn't need the publicity and he knew Izaya didn't need it either.

"S-Shizu-chan?"

"What?"

"...Why..."

The blonde came to a stop at a red light, watching cars zoom by in annoyance. He could probably make it across unscathed by himself, but he had Izaya in his arms...

"Why what, flea? I'm no smart guy, gotta elaborate more."

"...Why are you helping me?"

...That's right, why was he helping the flea? He hated this guy since high school. Why is he putting all his energy on taking him to get help?

The lights turned green and he sprinted again. People saw him bowling down the streets and moved away immediately.

"Heh, hell if I know. To be honest, I'm considering just throwing you into traffic right now." He watched the flea's body tense and chuckled inwardly.

"...But, I'm not going to...because...Tch, I... I accused you of something you didn't do...sorry." Shizuo glared at the ground as he mumbled out his apology. Maybe it hadn't been the brightest idea, but he gave it a try.

"Hehhh, even a monster like you can apologize..."

"Flea, I have the option to drop you right this fucking second, shut up."

"Ahaha, no no...what if… I arranged for that to happen? What then, Shizu-chan?"

"...There's nothing I can do I guess...but I'd think you're even lower than a flea."

"...Because I put people in danger?"

"No, because you willingly let your own eyes get burned out for some dumb shit reason...that's not the flea I know."

"..."

"The flea I know would never be willing to get himself hurt like that. The flea I know would have push me right in the way of that bottle."

"...I..."

The taller man came to a stop in front of Shinra's apartment building.

"…What changed, Izaya?"

"..."

"…Why did you push me out of the way?"

He got into the elevator and stared down at the raven that was still covering his eyes.

"...It would have been terrible if Shizu-chan was killed off by some prank...I'm the one that gets to kill Shizu-chan, remember?"

"...Was it worth it?" He swallowed and his grip on the smaller man tightened slightly as the elevator dinged.

"...I don't know." Was the quiet reply.

There was a hastily scribbled note stuck to the door but he ignored it and used a foot to knocked against the underground doctor's door.

"Didn't you read the sign? I'm not taking patients toda- Shizuo-kun?" Shinra's face changed from annoyance to surprise.

"Is that..." The doctor whispered and moved closer to examine the informant.

"The sewage bomber. H-his eyes-" He watched Shinra's eyes widen significantly.

"Get him inside. NOW!" The blonde jumped at the authoritative tone coming from the usually wimpy doctor and complied immediately.

"Did any of it get on you?" Shinra stormed into the living room, grabbing miscellaneous medical items with a serious.

"Y-yeah but only a dro-"

Shinra lead him to a private room and motioned for the man to lay Izaya down.

"Celty! Shizuo got a drop of it on him! Please tend to that while I take a look at Izaya."

The headless woman showed up from down the hallway, motioning for Shizuo to follow her to the living room.

[Does it hurt, Shizuo?] She typed with shaky hands as she brought out a kit.

"Not really, I tried to rub off the acid on the floor when I realized. I saw it burning but it just felt numb." He mumbled, putting his hand out for her to examine.

The smoke billowing out of her decapitated neck flickered a bit as she observed the slightly discolored patch of skin.

[Thank goodness, it was only a drop! The damage is still there so I'm just going to treat it before it gets worse. Don't move.]

He watched her nimble fingers grab bottles of unlabeled solutions and bandages. She worked quickly and confidently with the skill of a real doctor.

"Hey, you're good at this. When did you become a doctor?"

Her smoke flickered again and he could tell she was embarrassed.

[Shinra taught me! Recently, there had been a lot of people that can't go to hospitals showing up with these injuries. There were so much people that he couldn't keep up. So he taught me the basics for minor burns. I've been helping out for about a month.]

"Ah...I see." So even his friends' lives were getting messed up.

[...What happened?]

She had finished treating his wound, wrapping it tightly with bandages. She sat here expectantly and Shizuo took a deep breath.

"I dunno. I was just walking. Smelled the flea, found him, chased him and then the bottle dropped on us. Crazy shit, ya know. One second, he was just standing there with that annoying ass grin. Next second, he was on the ground. His eyes, Celty, I...don't know if he can see again." He rubbed the bridge of his nose tiredly and waited for the dullahan to type up her reply.

[What is it that bothers you, Shizuo? Isn't Izaya your enemy?] She typed, hesitantly showing him her PDA.

"I...yeah I hate him so god damn much…he hates me too…why the hell did the bastard save me?" He clenched a fist and fought down the urge to break something.

[H-he saved you? Izaya did?] She suddenly perked up, looking shocked.

"Yeah, I didn't believe it at first either….but that bottle would've hit me on the head if he hadn't…. He would never do something like that but he… damn it, that flea!" He slammed his fist into the couch, feeling it depress under the pressure.

He knew she was staring at him but he didn't care anymore. More typing echoed throughout the quiet apartment.

[Maybe… you two don't know each other as well as you thought you did, ne?]

"…Yeah…maybe."

He leaned back on the couch, sighing loudly as Celty got up to get him a cup of coffee.

"Thanks…" He nodded graciously as the steaming mug was placed on the table. She nodded in return as she took a seat next to him, laptop in hand.

[The incident is already all over the Dollars BBS.]

She tilted the screen towards him and he watched post after post scroll down on the webpage.

[SnK4L] Was anyone else near Sunshine 60 today? There was another sewage bombing!

[Shiri] Oh! Yes yes! I was I was! Really scary!

[MONTA] Another one? Was anyone hurt?

[タッキー] Ah, I was there...but there was so much confusion, I didn't get a good look.

[Rabi-san] I was on my way to work! I think it was actually Orihara Izaya and Heiwajima Shizuo!

[陽子] Eh?! THE Orihara Izaya and Heiwajima Shizuo? No way!

[MONTA] Are they hurt? Was an ambulance called?

[Red Carpet] I was driving by and I was pretty sure I saw Heiwajima Shizuo running down the streets...carrying something or someone.

[Maomin] Could it have been IzaIza? :O

[ウォーカー] No way, it couldn't have been...

[陽子] Maybe one of them planned it to kill the other.

[晴子] There was so much panic! Maybe the acid hit them straight on and they dissolved?

[Rabi-san] No way! I saw Heiwajima Shizuo leaving the scene in a hurry.

[MONTA] Where did he go?

[Rabi-san] Who knows, but I was pretty sure he was holding something.

[Maomin] It HAD to be IzaIza! :D Maybe he got hurt and they were going to get help~

[Rabi-san] There's no way those two would get injured. But I think the bottle shattered right in front of Orihara Izaya's face...

[Snk4L] Might've been me, but I think I saw Orihara Izaya push Heiwajima Shizuo out of the way.

[Maomin] :D Seriously? Kyaaa~

[MONTA] They might've gotten seriously hurt...especially Izaya...

[タッキー] What if Heiwajima Shizuo was carrying away his dead body or taking him somewhere else to kill off?

[Shiri] Uwahh! Possibilities!

[Coco2452] So were Orihara Izaya and Heiwajima Shizuo injured or not?

[Red Carpet] Who knows. It was total confusion...

[Tanaka Tarou] Requesting more information.

Shizuo grimaced and tore his eyes away from the mess of words on the screen, rubbing his eyes.

"Fucking shitheads just chatting away." He finished his scalding hot coffee in one gulp and lit a cigarette.

"Sorry, I…just need it right now." He glanced at the dullahan who waved her hand dismissively.

[It might take a while since Izaya looked seriously injured. Would you rather go home now?]

He shook his head tiredly.

"No, I'll wait. I need some answers anyway."

[Alright, I'll wait here with you.]

They sat together in a comfortable silence. Shizuo staring into space and Celty scrolling through the dollars forum for information.

His cell phone buzzed on occasion. Kadota had called him about twenty times now, but he really didn't feel like talking. He was probably worried sick. He reminded himself to take the guy out for sushi as an apology at a later date.

At last he heard the subtle sound of a door clicking open and he shot out of his seat in an instant.

"S-shizuo-kun? I thought you left already!" The doctor looked exhausted and surprised to see the blonde as he walked into the living room.

"Well I didn't. So? How's the flea?" He asked, waiting anxiously for an answer.

Shinra's expression changed slightly as he stared at the ground.

"Well…um…" He spent a few seconds stumbling for words and Shizuo let out a groan of frustration.

"Fine! If you're not going to tell me, I'll ask the flea myself!" With that, he stormed towards the room he had set Izaya down in.

"Ah! S-shizuo-kun, wait he's-"

He opened the door with a bang and with every intention of venting out his frustrations from the past hour.

"Iza-"

He stopped when he realized there was no movement coming from the bed.

"I was GOING to say, before you rudely interrupted me...Izaya's exhausted, don't bother him." Shinra appeared at his side with an annoyed expression.

"Oh..." Shizuo mumbled an apology before entering the room quietly and staring at the person laying on the mattress.

All his life, he had seen the flea on the move. Always dodging, always running, always laughing his annoying laugh as he danced out of his reach every single time.

All his life, he had never seen the flea so still.

The only indication that Izaya was still alive was the slight movement of his chest as he breathed softly.

As he had feared, the flea's eyes were wrapped tightly with bandages.

"Are they...?"

Shinra took a deep breath and glanced at the ground.

"Um...I...I did what I could do. I don't want to make any promises, but he could see again or...never...I'm sorry." He whispered and Celty placed a hand on his shoulder reassuringly.

The bodyguard stiffened at the information but didn't speak.

"...Shizuo?" Shinra asked after several minutes.

The blonde moved closer and reached out, fingers brushing by the informant's bandages eyes. He could feel Izaya's warm breath on his skin. Was the flea always this skinny? His skin looked dreadfully pale in comparison to his dark hair.

"Were you...always this weak, flea?" He whispered before retracting the hand.

"I'm going home." He announced, turning away from the bed.

"How much do I owe you?" He signed, taking out his wallet, preparing to give up a month's salary.

"Ah how about-" The doctor was cut off by a PDA being shoved into his face.

"You're in luck, Shizuo-kun! The lovely Celty here said this visit is on the house!"

"...Thanks." He nodded to Celty and pocketed his wallet before walking to the doorway. He looked back into the room.

"Oi Shinra, when that flea wakes up, tell him this. You saved me today...so...I'm going to spare you today...don't do something so retarded next time...I'm the only one that gets to kill you."

He left the room without looking back.

"Ah, Shizuo-kun! It's been a long day so Celty will take you home, okay?" Shinra called after him and the headless woman nodded in agreement.

"...Sure, thanks Celty."

When he heard the front door click shut, Shinra let out a sigh and stared at the man lying on the bed.

"They're gone now."

"…I know, I have ears Shinra." He watched the informant mutter and sit up with a groan.

"Why did I have to cover for you, Izaya?" The glasses-wearing man frowned, crossing his arms.

"You're so mean, Shinra. It's the least you can do after hanging up on me when I was in the hospital a few months ago."

"...Fair enough." The doctor took a deep breath, leaning against the wall as Izaya touched the bandages out of curiosity.

"They look damp...were you crying, Izaya?" Shinra raised an eyebrow as he noticed the raven's hands twitch.

"Don't kid around, Shinra. It's the eye drops you applied. They're irritating my eyes."

Shinra wanted to point out he hadn't applied anything to his eyes but decided it was better to keep quiet if he wanted answers.

"Alright. Are you going to explain to me why when I went to operate on your eyes earlier, they were perfectly fine?"

Izaya didn't speak so Shinra continued.

"Why did you ask me to bandage them anyway?" The informant stiffened and Shinra exhaled loudly before asking his last question.

"And...why did you lie to Shizuo?"

"I didn't lie to him, Shinra." His tone was sharp and bitter. The informant laughed softly, fingering the bandages.

"When that bottle exploded, I really thought I was a goner. To be done in by one of my precious humans. Hahhh, would've been nice." He sighed longingly. He sensed Shinra's unimpressed look and rolled his eyes from behind the bandages.

"Then, Shizu-chan had to do something unexpected again. Saving me and taking me here. Stupid protozoan." He smiled sadly, fingers playing with the bed sheets.

"Why did you play along?"

Izaya pondered for a moment. To be honest, he didn't really know.

He had seen the newspapers, he had seen the damage hydrofluoric acid could do to the skin and eyes.

He got a call from his sisters last week. They got caught up in an attack after school.

Kururi has gotten a minor burn on her arm.

He pretended not to care much. He needed them for his future plans, so they were better off hating him. But he did secretly send the two some extra money. He also asked Namie to have some men keep a close eye on the two.

He also became immensely interested in who this mysterious sewage bomber was.

So it kind of pissed him off when Shizuo suddenly accused him of being responsible for the sewage bombs. Izaya may play dirty, but he would never stoop as low as to do such dirty pranks.

And what Shizuo said was true. No one would believe him even if he tried to deny it.

When he saw that bottle dropping towards him and Shizuo, his body just moved. The glass shattered on contact with the floor and acid came flying out in all direction. For a second, he thought he had been blinded.

It freaked him out immensely. What if he couldn't see anymore? How will he observed his precious humans? How will he enjoy the sights of Ikebukuro?

How will he be able to fight Shizu-chan?

What could he do?

He spent a minute with his head held in his hands while people ran around him in panic. He didn't have the information to form an answer.

Then Shizuo had said his name, loud and clear.

His mind was too muddled and in shocked for him to remember how to open his eyes.

He panicked.

He thought he couldn't see.

He called to Shizuo for help.

He let Shizuo help him.

He let Shizuo see his weak side.

Shizuo, the stupid sunglasses-wearing protozoan.

Shizuo, his worst enemy.

Shizuo, his-

"Izaya?"

He jumped a bit when Shinra's voice snapped him out of his turmoil.

"I...wanted to see...if he would care." He decided after another minute. It technically was true. When he finally realized his eyes were fine, it was too late. Shizuo was already sprinting across Ikebukuro, carrying him like he was something worth protecting. He wanted to see what Shizuo would do. And why he would do something as crazy as saving him.

He just wanted the answers he couldn't get himself.

"Shizuo-kun said you pushed him out of the way."

He did. But he didn't know why. He didn't understand why.

"...And?" He turned towards Shinra's general direction.

"…Do you really hate him?"

Izaya's breath caught in his throat. He bit his lip as he pondered. Why couldn't he answer? Just this morning, if someone asked him, he would've replied 'yes' without hesitation. But he couldn't now. Why? Why couldn't he-!

The darkness covering his sight was starting to suffocate him. He couldn't breathe.

With a strangled gasp, he ripped the bandages from around his eyes and winced as the sudden lights assaulted him. He spent another minute shuddering, cradling his face in his hands as he got used to the lights again.

"I...I just don't want it to end...I'm the only one that gets to kill Shizu-chan. He's the only one that gets to kill me. I'm not going to let some stupid bottle of acid interfere." He breathed shakily.

"…Is that the only reason, Izaya?" Shinra whispered, watching his friend slowly break down.

"...Yeah."

The doctor took a deep breath before exhaling. He wanted to tell the informant what he thought. He wanted to say something…anything. He truly did, but...

"You can stay until you feel stable enough to leave. I won't let Celty in here so don't worry about the bandages." He finally said.

"Ah...how much do I owe you? I'll just transfer it to your account when-"

"Don't worry about it. I only sat with you for an hour, didn't even operate. It's on the house..."

He sighed when Izaya nodded silently and turned to stare at the white bed sheets.

"Well, I'll just leave you to brood. If you need anything, just yell." He turned to leave.

He stopped as he gripped the doorknob.

He knew he should act the part as Izaya's only friend. He knew he should stay and talk.

He knew he was the only one capable of stopping Izaya from going insane right now.

But...

"You should be more honest with yourself, Izaya."

_I'm sorry. _

He closed the door.

As he did, he saw drops of liquid fall from the informant's face.

And he knew they weren't from the eye drops.

**Well...ain't I the most horrible author out there. I hope Izaya, Shizuo and Shinra weren't too OOC. Well this story was based off the speculation that Shizuo and Izaya feel something other than hate for each other so it was OOC to begin with LOL**

**About Shinra, well he may have been a dick. I do think he's the only one Izaya would consider a friend. But when Izaya got stabbed and was in the hospital, he called Shinra, and the guy just hung up on him. And to walk away when Izaya needed advice the most...ughhhh I'm sorry OTL But he is characterized as a person that is interested in Celty more than anything else, including other humans. His world revolves around her. And to care for something other than Celty...yeah well I hope some people understand what I'm getting at. **

**I took chemistry, I know how hydrofluoric acid works and how treating it is not that simple. I just needed to botch up some facts to make it work. ^^' **

**Oh and all of the Dollars usernames, except two (or four depending on if those ganguro girls are part of the dollars or not) are canon and real in the novel and anime. **

**I suppose a sequel could be possible if people want one. Thanks for reading ^^ sorry for grammar and spelling mistakes. Reviews are appreciated~**


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